ESA Arctic Weather Satellite

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite is a successful prototype mission that has demonstrated the value of radiometric measurements for improving weather forecasts in the Arctic region and globally.

The mission lays the groundwork for the full EPS-Sterna constellation, where a decision is expected by EUMETSAT in July 2025. The constellation will provide more frequent measurements, especially over the polar regions, where geostationary satellites have limited coverage.

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite hailed as excellent

OHB Sweden is the mission prime contractor for the Arctic Weather Satellite, providing the satellite platform and system integration. AAC Omnisys, part of the AAC Clyde Space group, delivered a cutting-edge microwave radiometer, which was successfully integrated into OHB Sweden’s InnoSat platform. AAC Clyde Space also delivered the SIRIUS command and data handling unit and the STARBUCK power system, with mission-specific customization from its Uppsala site.

All three technologies are planned for use in the upcoming EPS-Sterna constellation, highlighting their performance and reliability in orbit.

Launched in 2024, the Arctic Weather Satellite was developed to improve short-term forecasts in the Arctic and globally, while enhancing our understanding of climate change.

The AWS mission provides frequent coverage of the Earth to support improved nowcasting and numerical weather prediction. It builds on heritage from polar orbiting satellites such as MetOp and MetOp SG and serves as a foundation for Europe’s next-generation weather satellite systems.

AAC Clyde Space delivered a cutting-edge microwave radiometer

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite has been proving how the New Space approach can accelerate the development of missions capable of delivering detailed temperature and humidity profiles for short-term weather forecasts. Moreover, the impact of this tiny prototype satellite goes even further – its measuring instrument has been recognised as able to provide data that’s on a par with traditional large missions. Equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, the satellite's mission is to penetrate the atmosphere and provide detailed temperature and humidity profiles in all weather conditions.

This 120 kg satellite is the forerunner of the upcoming EPS-Sterna constellation that will supply an almost constant stream of temperature and humidity data from every location on Earth. Meteorologists also use AWS data to improve forecasts worldwide.

AAC Omnisys has developed and built an innovative scientific weather payload in Gothenburg specifically for this mission: a passive microwave radiometer, which provides temperature and humidity measurements of atmospheric layers.

Since launch, the instrument has been praised for its performance and has delivered high-quality data for weather forecasting and climate analysis. The data is used for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and Nowcasting.

OHB Sweden is the prime contractor for the mission, which uses the InnoSat platform. The entire AWS industrial team includes 31 companies from 12 countries. The Arctic Weather Satellite is funded under a contract with the European Space Agency as part of its Earth Watch programme.

Mission Milestones

Environmental testing completed: March 2024

Launch: August 2024

First images delivered: September 2024

EPS-Sterna programme approved by EUMETSAT: July 2025

The satellite was declared fit for liftoff and its life in the harsh environment of space.

The set of final tests were carried out at IABG in Germany and included positioning the satellite on a shaker to simulate the vibrations it will have to endure during liftoff, and enclosing it in a thermal vacuum chamber where it was exposed to the extreme swings in temperature that it will experience as it orbits Earth.

AAC Clyde Space is also supplying a high-performance  STARBUCK power system from its range of microsatellite products, and a Sirius Command and Data Handling System, both designed and built at its Uppsala, Sweden, site.

The STARBUCK PCDU is a modular power conditioning and distribution unit. Its unique design allows it to be configured to mission and spacecraft needs. The unit has multiple inbuilt protections and combines COTS and radiation hardened components to optimize the reliability and performance characteristics of the ITAR free system.

The Sirius Command and Data Handling System has been flight proven across a myriad of missions, consistently and reliably helping deliver mission objectives. Utilizing SpaceWire onboard the main data bus for high bandwidth and on-board data transfer, the Sirius system provides extremely high performance processing including the ability to update software while in orbit via telecommands.

AWS Delivered its First Images, Capturing Storm Boris

In September 2024, the Arctic Weather Satellite delivered its first images, notably capturing Storm Boris, which was moving across central Europe.

Read full ESA Article here

At the link you can see an animation, using data acquired on 5 September, that provides a broader view of humidity—represented as brightness temperature—and captures another storm over the Arctic between Greenland and Svalbard. It shows humidity at the 1 km altitude level, combining several AWS passes over the region.

“The ESA Arctic Weather Satellite has become a flagship project for us, charting an exciting development path by combining the AAC Omnisys weather sensors with our classic core avionics. We are proud to be able to take such a central role in this project” — AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes

The ESA Arctic Weather Satellite has become a flagship project for us, charting an exciting development path by combining the AAC Omnisys weather sensors with our classic core avionics. We are proud to be able to take such a central role in this project

AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes

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